This has been a week of reviews. Over the Memorial Day weekend, my husband & I along with a couple of friends took some time off to enjoy a little R & R on Catalina Island. We were really looking forward to activities like the Zip Line & lounging in a cabana at the beach club.
Well, I guess lounging is more of a recreational activity. Anyways, the Zip line totally rocked & the lounging at the Beach Club…well let’s just say we did not have a good experience which got me thinking about the power of reviews.
The world needs reviews.
If we were only fed marketing produced by what companies wanted us to think how on earth would we really ever know truth?!? Big brother-like if you ask me. Today, we are empowered as consumers. Smart phones abound, the minute we need to research & make a decision, we bust out our phone. People are interested in what other people have to say about a product or service & even more so if it’s an opinion of someone they know, like or trust. Sometimes on the contrary we want to know what an absolute stranger has to say. Yelp is a perfect example of the public speaking their mind & most of us look towards this service to aid in the decision making process.
It’s not that hard to imagine: You’re in uncharted territory, hungry & looking for a decent place to eat. You pull up the Yelp app on your iPhone & bam! you find a local eatery with glowing reviews & pictures to boot! The decision has been made & off you go.
Over the last year, I’ve been requesting Yelp & Linked In reviews from some of my Real Estate clients. Has this helped my business? Yes & damn does it feel good when I receive a raving review. So, there in lies the rub. To be of service is to help others.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, this was the week of reviews. Instead of taking up my energy with writing a negative review (which by the way have their place), I decided I would promote & lift those around me who provide superior service. Why not elevate the people who work hard to provide a high level of service and with a smile no less? I’ve experienced some pretty great service this year. People who really bring their best to the table & truly help make life easier (isn’t that nice?).
For me, this week it was a transaction coordinator, a copy writer, an experience planner, a brand strategist & a real estate media news site.
All have taken time and effort to provide exemplary service because they really care about how they are perceived by their clients, customers, & readers. There was a timely post written by Chris Smith about, 3 Social Media Gurus actually worth listening to. He talks about how there are too many people who claim knowledge in social media stratosphere so Chris decided to advocate three kick-ass thought leaders who talk the talk & walk the walk in social media.
Benevolence at its finest. Marketing at its core. Opinions that matter.
You have a voice. Endorse those who’ve done well for you. It will not go unnoticed. The people who deserve it will love you for it. People who don’t, well…do they really matter anyway?
